Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Different types of pelvic cancer, such as cervical, endometrial, bladder and prostate, are normally treated by radical radiotherapy, which can be used both alone or in combination with surgery and/or chemotherapy.The aim of this study is to assess the effects of concomitant Giardia intestinalis infection on acute gastrointestinal toxicity in rats that have undergone pelvic irradiation.

METHODS

The study group consisted of forty female 6-month-old Wistar rats with the weight of 250 g. The rats were divided into four groups containing ten rats in each group. The study groups are as follows: Group 1 contained rats not infected with Giardia intestinalis and not irradiated, Group 2 contained rats infected with Giardia intestinalis but not irradiated, Group 3 contained rats not infected with Giardia intestinalis but irradiated, Group 4 contained rats infected with Giardia intestinalis and radiated. For the day after the end of radiation, the number of stool pellets was counted, and the operation of weighing rats was performed, and they were sacrificed the following day. The intestinal tissues were taken for histological evaluation.

RESULTS

A mucosal damage, such as villus shortening, atrophy of surface epithelium, crypt loss, as well as a decrease in the number of goblet cells of the group 3 and 4, was detected as a result of the light microscopic examination.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

As a result of the present study, the fact that concomitant Giardia intestinalis infection aggravates acute gastrointestinal toxicity in rats that have undergone pelvic irradiation has been verified